Release Your Problems
by PuppeteerOllie
Summary: Hiccup is a distant student suffering from anxiety and over the years has drifted out of the crowd and away from his friends, who he misses. He finds solace in music and decides to pursue it. Modern AU. Hiccstrid. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: How To Train Your Dragon and it's characters are owned by Dreamworks. Except where noted, all lyrics are original and may not be re-produced in any shape or form without prior permission

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><p>"Pens down!"<p>

Hundreds of them clattered on plastic desks, and I let out a huff. That was it. My finals were over. 8 weeks of nothing on my shoulders, and no-_one _to interact with me. Everyone around me began to talk at once.

"Thank god that's over!"  
>"I wonder how I went!"<br>"I swear, if Mr Thorston fails me, I'm gonna kill myself, Heather!"

Heather? Oh gods...that's right, she's right next to me. Ever since I was a freshman in Middle school all she ever wanted to do was get close to me, for reasons unknown, but she's everything I'm not and not what I want or need. She's the center of attention, at the top of this school and is on the receiving end of many cat calls, wolf-whistles and one night stands. I don't know; maybe its her jet black hair or piercing eyes that put me off. That, and she takes pride in her reputation, and I'll never understand why. If I was ever put into that situation with someone, I'd want...it to mean something. Not just "Good morning, gotta run, don't call!"

One girl I came to love over the years has been my friend since kindergarten, but now that she has a job somewhere and I'm...me, the lean, rich kid who barely speaks and has his head stuck in a sketchbook, we haven't spoken in a while, and I miss her company. Sure I see her in the yard, fixing her complicated braid of blond hair and adjusting her favorite red tank top, which suits her perfectly, but she barely has time for conversation. Just a wave and a smile is all that seems to happen now.

Ah, who am I kidding? It's not her fault, its mine. Ever since I got bad I found myself slowly pulling away from my friends as the teasing started. 'Useless' and 'Fishbone', Scott "Snotlout" Jorgenson and his Jockey Posse started calling me, among other things. Withdrawn from my friends, I started marching to my own drum and that's how its been for a while. Just me, my parents and my black cat Toothless. Hopefully, this Summer, I can make a change. Hopefully, I can make friends again.

"Psst! Hiccup!" I mentally groaned and swung my head to the left, brushing some of my auburn hair our of my green eyes.

"Hi Heather," I said politely.

"My parents are out of town this weekend, do you wanna...hang out?" she asked, something off was dripping from her tongue. Oh no not _that_!

"Uh, Heather, I..." _Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! _I jumped out of my seat and power-walked to the exit before I said anything else. I looked behind me, but it didn't work. She was hot on my heels and matched my pace so accurately she ended up next to me once again. I could feel my chest starting to constrict and my breathing became shallow and rapid.

"Come on, Hiccup," she cooed, as she snaked a slender arm around me. I flinched and brushed her off. It was getting worse. I hadn't had an attack in 2 weeks.

"Please don't touch me, Heather. Be like everyone else and leave me alone," I said sharply.

"But Hiccup, you're alone too much and I thought you could use the company-"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR COMPANY!" I exploded. Everyone around me fell silent. I was saying no to Heather, something no one had ever seen, heard or even _done_ before. I could feel all the eyes staring at me, and I could foresee how much shit I'd be copping.

"I have to go," I huffed. "Enjoy your summer." I jogged out the front door leaving everyone in the gym foyer stunned. I had never snapped like that before. My chest was about to burst at the seams and tears started stinging my eyes. _Don't cry, Hiccup. _I wiped my tears with the cuff of my sleeve and ran across the courtyard that started to flood with my peers and I kept my head down, not wanting anyone to notice me. I shuffled through the torrent of screaming teens and hurried down the corridor to my locker. Opening it quickly, I stopped for a moment and took deep breaths, in and out, in and out. My ribs slowly started to give. I blinked twice and grabbed my red bag already packed with my old books and slammed the locker door shut. I pivoted on my heel and saw the familiar tank top. _Astrid's locker was right across from mine? How did I not-?_

"Of course you didn't know, Fishbone," I whispered bitterly. "You're too busy wallowing in your self pity!" I shook my head quickly and started to make my way down the parade of work-paper confetti and deafening roars of triumph when I heard-

"Hiccup!" my heart skipped a beat. I slowly spun around and struggled to maintain a straight face. Astrid was standing in front of me and looking at me, her deepest of deep blue eyes boring into mine. I could sense some concern in her.

"Uh, hi Astrid," I said nervously, giving her a little wave.

"Walk with me." She demanded. So I obeyed. We slowly started to walk through the paper rain together. "Are you okay?" she asked urgently.

"Uh...yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I lied.

"Hiccup, I heard what happened. And I know when you're lying to me. You're rubbing the back of your neck." Oh gods, was I? I snapped my right hand away from my neck. "You always do that when you're nervous."

"Seems you know more about me than I do," I quipped. She smiled slightly.

"But seriously, Hiccup, I heard you yelled at Heather. Have you had another attack?" I snapped to attention.

"Wait, what do you mean, another attack? How do you know I was okay for the past two weeks? And how on earth do you know what's been going on with me?"

"Give me a little credit, Henry." She never called me Henry unless it was serious. "We may rarely speak anymore, but I know what you're going through, even from afar." She was looking out for me? Even after my selfish decision to shut everyone out. _She is my best friend, after all. She deserves to know._ I sighed and took another breath in.

"Honestly, yeah. Heather was pining for me to spend the weekend with her, and it made me uncomfortable, so I snapped." I admitted. The sunlight suddenly hit my eyes. We were now out in the parking lot.

"As in, like..." her eyes widened. "Oh, Hiccup, I'm sorry to hear that."

"I just wish she'd acknowledge my need for space and understand that I'm not into her like that-or anyone, for that matter!" I said quickly. But of course it wasn't the truth. I won't lie, I've imagined Astrid and I together like that, and it meant something to us in that dream, but she could never find out. I doubt she loves me like I do, her. I was focussing on my black Chuck Taylor sneakers when I felt a hand touch mine. I looked up at the blue eyes again.

"I know you'll sort this out Hiccup," Astrid reassured me. She ran her thumb over my palm. I smiled at her touch. I had my friend back. "And I know you'll want to try and resolve this by yourself, but if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me." I smiled genuinely at her in that moment.

"Thank you, Astrid," I said sincerely. "Means a lot."

"Hey, what are friends for?" she laughed. I smiled again. A car horn sounded. "Oh, that's Mom," Astrid said hurriedly. Before I knew it, she let go of me and raced away. I watched her run off.

"You're amazing!" I heard her call out. I chuckled at that. Maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad. I had Astrid back in my life, hopefully I could get everyone else back.

I broke away from the massing crowd and made my way to my car, a black Volkswagen Golf. I opened the driver's side, dumped my bag in the back and sat down. Coming from a rich family, people might've done a double take when they realized I had a 2004 Golf when I could be driving something a little more...now, I guess. But I don't like to spend my money too much and as you could imagine, I don't want to stand out. I gunned it to town and drove towards the beach, as I always do on a Friday after school. I turned on the radio, suddenly aware of how quiet it was, which is stupid because I am _always _quiet.

"...new music coming out from Australian singer, Chet Faker today. This is from his debut album "Built On Glass", you're listening to "Talk Is Cheap." Suddenly, a ringing saxophone flooded the car and began to play a descending melody. Soon after it was joined by hand claps and finger snaps. I was surprised at how D.I.Y. this music sounded. It was a Hel of a lot different to what I hear on the radio, which I'm not all too fond of. And then the singer's voice escaped the speakers. He was mellow, soulful and even sounded vulnerable. This voice was beautiful, and it was different, and I liked it. I made it to the waterfront by the second verse, and I watched the sun prepare its descent into the sea. It was soothing, the mellow music and the waves, almost working together to slowly shut my eyes. I spoke to Astrid. I found good music. For the first time in ages, I felt comfortable.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lyrics in bold are property of Nicholas Murphy, aka Chet Faker.**

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><p>I awoke not too long after Faker lulled me to sleep, the sun still high up and beating down on me. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my legs, careful not to kick the accelerator and swung the door open, resting my feet on the asphalt. The sea air invigorated me with every breath and tickled my scalp as my hair rustled in the salty wind. I stood up, feeling refreshed for the first time in...ever, really, and surveyed my surroundings. Behind my car, across the road was a cluster of cafes and small restaurants, and behind them up a hill, which doubled as a park with elm trees lining the sidewalk was the Berk Shopping Complex that took up around three blocks. Deciding a walk might do me even more good, I locked up the car and crossed the street to head up the hill. I ascended the hill next to a water feature that took up the middle of the concrete stairwell, flowing all the way down to a little pond that recycled the water back up to the top, giving the impression of a flowing river. I regarded the fountain with a smile, remembering what my mother used to tell me. <em>A river does not simply stop when faced by rocks, son. It seeps through the cracks and keeps on flowing. <em>After what went on in the last hour, I feel as if I can keep going just like the river fountain. Let the positivity keep coming, I thought to myself as I crossed the lights at the top of the hill. But of course, I had to jinx it, as 50 yards away, my cousin Scott and his Jockey Posse, unmistakable in their Berk High Viking varsity jackets, were walking in my direction. My heart sank and I froze, frantically looking for somewhere to hide. I could only go left, because my only options were the open road on my right (Why not end it all now to appease Snotlout and everyone else?) Argh, shut up, brain! Focus. I calmly spun left and entered the first door that I saw, which was right in front of me. It was a dark foyer, and I hung by the tinted glass door keeping an eye out for Scott and his friends, and they went straight past. I let out the breath I was apparently holding and mentally scolded myself for ruining my inner peace.

I spun around and took a few steps in when I realized I was in a music shop. To my left there was a glass display case with miniature novelty drum kits and guitars, and to my right was a glass wall that separated the entry hall to a room lined with guitars, both acoustic and electric. Lightning bolts and V's were all lined up against one wall and some generically shaped acoustic guitars with differing stains on the top of the body. I walked further down the hallway and saw the service desk, at the back of the room of guitars and another room to my left, which had stacks of music books, software, turntables and pianos. Grand, baby grand and electric, all filling up the cascading room. If you went under an archway through the left wall of the piano room, you'd find yourself surrounded by drums, cymbals and more sticks than you could poke someone with. My eyes widened in wonder and surprise at how many instruments there were, but I was drawn towards the small electronic keyboard and DJ equipment, which were hooked up to a little amplifier under the table they sat on. I took piano lessons when I was little, and I could still play, but I gave up on lessons a while ago. We have a baby grand that's black as Toothless at home, which I would muck around on from time to time, but I didn't care much for the music in the book on the stand. The little keyboard and a module I was unfamiliar with that sat behind it were already on. The module in question had around 20 white, squidgy looking, square shaped buttons on them. Some of them were glowing different colours. I pressed one that was illuminated by a green light from underneath the panel and I got the sound of a kick drum. I gasped in surprise, and impulsively hit a blue one, which resulted in a metallic tap, which in real life would be what happens when you hit a...hi hat, I think? In elementary school we took music and we learned the anatomy of a drum kit but the weird words flew over my head, so I was unfamiliar with most of the terminology. Looking for another one to hit, I found a red button and got a hand clap. I could make a beat! I grinned like a child, giggling giddily and went about my "drumming." _Boom!-tss-clap!-tss-boom!-tss-clap!-tss! _over and over again. I was laughing with glee as I made a beat. I hadn't had so much fun ever.

I stopped after a little bit and noticed my fingers were still twitching to the beat I had made. It was stuck in my head. I relaxed my hands and looked over to the little black keyboard. I had no idea what to do. Should I just tinker with it, like at home? Why not? I thought. I hit three random keys, Black-white-white, going down, then I suddenly stopped. This sounded familiar...I hit the next black key down and came back up to the white one...hang on, its the song that was on the radio! How the hel was I doing this?! I can't just play songs by ear! I'm not that good! Whatever. I pushed these alarming thoughts out of my mind and kept mucking around with the keys, and after a couple of mistakes I figured out the organ melody by ear and what chords went with them. My heart was racing at what I was doing. I was excited! A thought came into my head and I went straight to autopilot. I found myself staring at my smartphone, which had lyrics on the screen and my fingers dancing over the keys. What happened next, I have no idea how it came to be.

**Oh so, your weak rhyme**  
><strong>You doubt I'll bother reading into it<strong>  
><strong>I'll probably won't<strong>  
><strong>Left to my own devices<strong>  
><strong>But that's the difference in our opinions<strong>

**You're a mouthful**  
><strong>That amounts for another week on my own<strong>  
><strong>Now I'm a novel made resourceful<strong>  
><strong>I start a chain with my thought<strong>

**Talk is cheap, my darling**  
><strong>When you're feeling right at home<strong>  
><strong>I wanna make you move with confidence<strong>  
><strong>I wanna be with you alone<strong>

**Said help me help you start it**  
><strong>You're too comfortable to know<strong>  
><strong>Throwing out those words<strong>  
><strong>Oh, you gotta feel it on your own<strong>

**Cold pain**  
><strong>I cannot sustain it<strong>  
><strong>That's what I'm thinking<strong>  
><strong>Not what I'm drinking<strong>

**I hold up my ways**  
><strong>These thoughts are pervasive<strong>  
><strong>It's not a statement<strong>  
><strong>But peace can be evasive<strong>

**You're a mouthful**  
><strong>That amounts for another week on my own<strong>  
><strong>Now I'm a novel made resourceful<strong>  
><strong>I start a chain with my thought<strong>

**Talk is cheap, my darling**  
><strong>When you're feeling right at home<strong>  
><strong>I wanna make you move with confidence<strong>  
><strong>I wanna be with you alone<strong>

**Said help me help you start it**  
><strong>You're too comfortable to know<strong>  
><strong>Throwing out those words<strong>  
><strong>Oh, you gotta feel it on your own<strong>

**Talk is cheap, my darling**  
><strong>When you're feeling right at home<strong>  
><strong>I wanna make you move with confidence<strong>  
><strong>I wanna be with you alone<strong>

**Said help me help you start it**  
><strong>You're too comfortable to know<strong>  
><strong>Throwing out those words<strong>  
><strong>Oh, you gotta feel it on your own <strong>

"Hiccup?"

I spun around in fright and saw Astrid Hofferson smiling at me.

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><p><strong>Loving the response I've been getting. Thanks to all who have followed and favourited. Please please review. I look forward to and take in any and all feedback.<strong>

**-Ollie**


	3. Chapter 3

I was being watched the whole time? Astrid was there, just looking at me with wide eyes. My first instinct would've been to run, but where? Astrid was blocking my path to the front door and I don't think I'd know where the back entrance was. I was stock still, my chest began to swell for the second time again, but I remained composed and relaxed my tense posture.

"Astrid...give me a minute, please?" She nodded, her expression now confused, but understanding. I flashed a quick smile and crossed the room to go into the next one, where all the drums were. I leaned against an empty wall and did my routine. In and out, went my breaths, and eventually I calmed down. I walked back into the piano room and found Astrid leaning next to the equipment I was messing with, staring at my phone which was propped up against the wall. walked around to her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Ahem, you were watching me the whole time?" I asked. She looked at me and nodded.

"Yeah. Well, not the whole time," she explained. "I was out the back unpacking some new stock when I heard you having the time of your life on the sampling pad (Oh, that's what it's called!) and I came in to find you singing and playing."

"Wait, you work _here_?" I asked, perplexed. She pointed to a tag pinned to her left breast, which read:

THE FORGE MUSIC SHOP  
><span>ASTRID<span>

"What do you think this is for, silly?" she teased as she gave me her signature jab on the shoulder. I rubbed my arm as she handed me my phone.

"So I take it you're a fan of Chet Faker?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. I only listened to him for the first time today, though. Are you a fan?"

"Are you kidding? I love him."

Wait, when did you find him out?" I asked, surprised.

"I was on vacation in Australia last year with my parents. We were staying in this place called Melbourne and my...my mother took us out to this little venue in the city, and Chet happened to be on the bill and I bought his E.P. the day after."

"Oh, what was he like?"

"Pretty impressive. He had the crowd running from the get-go and his stage presence was so...humble, I guess. He's just a guy making music, really."

"Huh, humble...why can't musicians be more like Chet Faker then?" I quipped. "I know!" we both chuckled for a moment.

"But Hiccup, what you just did...that was...amazing," she breathed. "You really think so?" I asked.

"Absolutely. I've never seen that side of you before...in the zone, enjoying yourself so much and you're voice! It's...beautiful...and wait, you said you only listened to Chet Faker today?" I nodded.

"And you managed to figure out how to play 'Talk Is Cheap' in a matter of minutes?" I looked back over at the keyboard.

"I guess so," I said slowly. "Hiccup, you're a freak at music!" I didn't know how to react to such enthusiasm, so I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled.

"You have a wonderful gift. And after seeing how much happier you were, I strongly advise you keep going with it." She was right, I was noticeably happier, but...

"I don't know Astrid...I've never really committed to anything."

"It's just like drawing, Hiccup, only you're drawing with noises and notes, rather than lines. You still have your piano, right?" I nodded. "Good. Go home and play as often as you can. It'll help you release your problems-with all respect."

"Clever reference to Faker," I smirked. She laughed. Gods, how much I could hear her laugh for hours on end. I smiled into her blue eyes and she stood there, seemingly frozen in time. After a minute of silence, I suddenly realized what I was doing.

"I uh...I better head home."

"Yeah, I uh...better...get back to it!" Wait, was she doing the same as me? I briskly walked to the door but I was immediately stopped from reaching the door-handle.

"Hey, Hiccup!" I turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Your eyes are really pretty," Astrid giggled.

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><p>My eyes are really pretty...Astrid's voice kept running rings around my head on the drive home. Maybe I was wrong about how she felt about me. I shrugged my shoulders at the thought.<p>

"Never know," I said to myself. It took about twenty minutes to get from the city plaza up to the hills, where I live. My family lives on a massive property with a sprawling backyard, with different sized netted enclosures. More on that later. The house, well more of a mansion, really, sits at the end of a gravel driveway and has two stories, with a marble bench-top kitchen, open living and dining area and a grand staircase leading up to our four bedrooms. Mum and Dad's room, mine, the Guestroom and my rec room, which had a desk I use for study, browsing the web or doodling, a TV and game console and a couch for any guests I might have over. Only one body shape remained embedded into the furnishings. Pulling into the drive, I couldn't see my dad's Mercedes, so it looked like it was just me and Mum for the moment. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I heard a _hoot! _I smiled, realizing Mum was outside. I jogged around the outside of the house and slowed at the edge of the lap pool, looking out over the backyard. Mum was in the biggest netted enclosure with her red owl, Cloudjumper. An owl, you might wonder? My Mum works at the zoo, specializing in birds of prey. She'll nurse rescued birds back to health or even bring some home so they can learn to fly again, hence the enclosures. Cloudjumper was a special case though. He was brought to the Zoo from China as a young owl to eventually be added to the bird-show my mother runs daily, but a few days into settling in, he got frightened by a snake that had climbed up his tree and fell, breaking his wing. Mum took him home to nurse him back to health, and after he made a full recovery, the Zoo actually asked my mother to keep Cloudjumper as her pet and to set up a rehabilitation program for birds of a similar fate, using Cloudjumper as a bird the patients could interact with. It's been going on for about 3 years and its proven to be a great success, healing birds to be released back into the wild or to be looked after by the Zoo. I walked down to the enclosure my mother and Cloudjumper were in, grabbing a leather glove on my way over. Mum was wearing a yellow t-shirt, which contrasted drastically with the leather glove she wore on her left arm, and khaki pants.

"Hey Mum," I greeted as I shut the door. I stroked Cloudjumper's belly and his eyes closed at my touch. "Hey bud."

"How was your last day?" Mum asked as she kissed my cheek.

"It was uh, eventful!" I answered.

"Oh? How so?" she asked as Cloudjumper launched off her arm and perched on a tree branch way up high. I told her about Heather. Her face contorted into concern.

"I-it's okay, though!" I continued. "Guess who I spoke to today?" her expression softened and she smiled again. "You spoke to Astrid?"

"Yeah! It was like we never grew apart, Mum. She confronted me about Heather and offered support."

"Good for you, my boy," she smiled.

"That and...I think I wanna take up music again."

"Oh really? What changed your mind?"

Well, I found out where Astrid works, which is the music shop-"

"You mean the one Gobber owns?" Gobber was an old family friend and piqued my interest in music when I was little. He had a band back in Scotland with my Dad, when they were growing up but I hadn't seen Gobber in so long I didn't know he worked there.

"Gobber owns the music shop? Huh! Well anyway, I THOUGHT I was by myself and I started playing and...singing, and Astrid was watching me the whole time. She said I should keep going with it and told me I was gifted."

"Well, she's not wrong, son," Mum said as she ruffled my hair. "You are very good at piano and music has proven to be very therapeutic for people's mental health. Heed her advice, Hiccup. It'd be nice for you to do something other than drawing dragons." Oh yeah, all I draw are dragons. I regarded this for a moment and nodded.

Yeah. Thanks Mum. I'm gonna head inside do you want anything?"

"No thanks."

I exited the aviary and jogged back up to the house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Lyrics in bold are by me, and if you would like to use them, please don't hesitate to message me and I'll give you the go-ahead.**

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><p>As soon as I came inside, I turned a hard left and I saw the piano, just sitting there, waiting for me to come over. I approached it slowly, for some reason. I think I was a little apprehensive about what might come forth from my fingers and hammer on the strings. As I got closer, I smiled and chuckled through my nose, as I regarded the previously unseen black cat, fast asleep on the lid. I sat down quietly and I secured the pedal that dampened the strings inside the piano, greatly reducing the volume of playing so I didn't disturb Toothless too much. I played Talk is Cheap again, this time with fewer mistakes and I managed to maintain a steady tempo all the way through, and sang at just above a whisper, for the sake of my friendly feline.<p>

After I channel Chet, so to speak, I started tinkering with the keys again, but this time I payed attention to what I was playing and I made the necessary adjustments to what I felt worked and didn't. I had come up with several riffs, my favorite one being slow, but upbeat, kind of like one of Chet. Gods, how influential he was within a matter of hours! I felt like this could go somewhere right in that moment. I kept coming up with more stuff to accompany my riff, and before I knew it I was writing music on the blank pad of manuscript paper that was sitting behind a piano book. I began to feel really good about myself. I was coming up with a song. My mother and Astrid were right. I felt great! Now...how would I go about with lyrics? I was really good at English, behind design, and I would always be one of the few who actually looked forward to creative writing. But writing lyrics felt like something different. I wasn't writing a fictional story with a clear setting, or a solid idea of who my fictional characters should be, I was trying to write something that seemed...personal. Whatever good songs I would hear, I found the best ones were more often than not, personal. It made sense because the singer knew what they were talking about, and how close to home it hit them. The melody in my mind, I began to notate words that came into my head.

**Cast my shadow on the floor, leave me and myself alone  
>Dissipate, pass through your sight, pressure creaks and breaks my bones<strong>  
><strong>Drifted off into the night, the light to help me fight a fight<br>to end all fights...end all fights  
>Clench a fist, touch my wrist, please tell me that I exist<br>Take me in your arms and hold me tight...  
>I need to see through another's eyes, build me a set of wings to fly<br>Relieve me of the weight that's on my shoulders  
><strong>

I stopped there, realizing what I'd just written. This was me. I was astonished that I actually pulled off writing a verse, and about what I've been going through. I was eager to get back to it, but not before Toothless stretched, yawned and jumped down into my lap. I scratched his chin and laughed.

"Aw, did I wake you up, big baby boo?" I teased. He smacked his lips but if I didn't know any better, he was going _blah blah,_ blah. My cat was curiously as intelligent as any other. As he settled down I kept writing.

**My heart gets hurt every day, can't seem to make the pain fade away  
>I need your all to help me find my strength to fight another day<br>Do you swear to hold my hand, and separate me from a grain of sand...  
><strong>**Help me become a man**

I huffed out a breath. A verse and a chorus, I thought. It was something, all right. And I felt something else, like a weight had been lifted from me. I finally managed to get some of the million feelings I feel every day off of my chest and turned them into something artistic. I looked down at Toothless, who was purring like a motorcycle.

"What do you think, bud? You like it?" He leaned back, resting his front paws on my chest and craned his neck to lick my chin with his rough tongue. I laughed and rubbed my cheek along his, which he responded to with even more purring.

"I'll take that as a yes," I laughed. I'll work more on this later, I thought. I needed to tell someone. I looked outside and I saw Mum and Cloudjumper working with a hawk that had a sling around its right wing. Later. Dad still wasn't here...Astrid. I hoped I kept her number in my phone. I'd never tell her this, but I thought of her throughout the writing. I mentally hoped she wouldn't figure out the meaning behind my song, but she knew me better than I gave her credit for. Oh well. Que Sera. I carried Toothless over to the couch, sat down and opened up my phone. I found her number in my contacts (Yes!) and hit her name. After about three rings, she picked up.

"Hello, Astrid speaking?" My insides fluttered.

"Hey Astrid, it's Hiccup."

"Oh Hiccup, hi! Your name didn't show up on the screen, so I didn't recognize you."

"Oh, was it blocked?" "Yeah it was...am I really that despicable?" she asked. She sounded in pain. I began tripping over my words which flew out of my mouth.

"Oh no, Astrid, I-I didn't..." I heard her laugh. "Hiccup, I'm just messing with you, its all good!" I relaxed.

"Oh, thank gods...um, how was work?"

"Pretty good actually! A customer ordered in a guitar so gorgeous I wanted to take it home with me. Not sure if you know, but I still play."

"Oh really? That's great! Piano as well?"

"Yeah!" There was a pause between us that dragged out a little bit.

"So how can-"  
>"I wanted to-"<p>

We both laughed.

"Sorry, you go first," I beckoned.

"Okay. Uh, this call was completely unexpected, what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that...I took your advice and I'm writing a song!"

"Really? Hiccup, that's amazing! How's it coming along?"

"I've surprised myself, to be honest. I thought it was gonna end up being average but I'm very happy with how's it all coming together."

"That's great Hiccup, I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks," I smiled. "Would you...like to hear it?"

"Yeah, sure! Just on here or...?" That made me think a little bit. I hadn't had a friend over in so long. It's time to make a change, Haddock. You're gonna invite her over. You _are._

"Actually, what are you doing right now?" I asked.

"I'm just about to leave the food court with my dinner, why?"

"Okay, because...I was wondering if you'd m-maybe... I dunno...wanna come over?" I stammered.

"Is Hiccup Haddock inviting me to his humble abode to play? Who'd have thought such preposterous motives would be running around the brain of such a boy?" She teased with a posh accent. She was too funny. "I'd love to. Are your parents cool with it?"

"Don't you remember what my Dad said when we were little?" I asked. _My turn. _"Astrid!" I boomed with a Scottish accent. "You're family to us! You are always welcome here!" Astrid wouldn't stop laughing. Then she fired back with the most hilarious -and slightly offensive- thing I'd heard in ages.

"Dad, can she stay the night? Can she please?" she pleaded in a voice that was very nasal. I laughed in surprise.

"Astrid, I do NOT sound like that!" I said between laughs. We were laughing harder.

"You kinda do, Hiccup!"

"Argh, okay just...just_ be silent," _I said in a deeper version of my voice. She chuckled.

"So when do you want me to come over?"

"Uh, now...if that's okay, of course," I assured her.

"Done. On the road right now."

"Okay, see you soon!"

"Bye, Hiccup."

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><p><strong>Hey guys, I've been thinking...those of you who are musicians, I'd love to hear your interpretations of the songs Hiccup writes. PM me a Youtube link or something similar. More reviews! I love you guys<br>**

**-Ollie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you all for the massive response. Lyrics in bold are by me****_.  
><em>If someone, a drawer, could get in touch with me, I'd like a cover picture for the story please. Will give you deets through PM.  
><strong>

**SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC!**

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><p>I was spazzing out. I'd just invited Astrid Hofferson over. I felt my chest swell and my nerves kicked in, but surprisingly, there was little fear. Just a lot of excitement. Still holding Toothless, I bolted upstairs to my room, adorned with the typical teenage decor. Queen size bed, old mirror leaned against the wall, clothes lightly scrambled about on the carpet, you get the idea. The way my bedroom differs, I think though, is I have several canvasses of Dragons based on my old friend's pets. Freddy, known to us as "Fishlegs", has a bulldog called Meatlug, and I turned her into what I called a Gronkle. The twins, Ruth and Thom, or Ruff and Tuff, called that due to their rough-and-tumble relationship that usually comes up in mirrored siblings, have a snake that was born with two heads, Barf and Belch. The Hideous Zippleback, I called them. I don't think either Scott or Astrid have pets, so I haven't been able to come up with something for them. Finally, my personal favourite, Toothless had been painted as a jet black dragon, not unlike an Axolotl (for some weird reason), and I called him a Night Fury. Those, and I also had a swanky en-suite, but that's no big deal.<p>

Setting Toothless down on my bed, I pulled my green v-neck over my head and took a second to assess my body in the mirror. It had changed quite significantly over the past two years. When I was fifteen, my legs and arms would've been as easy as a twig to snap and stomp on. Now, after much nagging from my mother that I get a little exercise to ease my mind, I now had toned arms with veins on proud display, and slightly stronger muscles. I don't know why, but some people associate veins on hands with masculinity, although it did make me look more my age and I liked them. I hit a growth spurt around last year and along with it my body began to lean out, leaving my torso a little fuller and the faint criss-crosses of my abdominals could be seen if you looked close enough. I was in decent shape, but not much to look at, at least in my opinion. No one's ever seen all of me, but they constantly gesture to all of me, much to my annoyance. Atop the freckles on my chest rested a pewter celtic knot on a leather necklace. It was my dad's growing up over in Europe and he gave it to me on my last birthday. He said that the one strand in the knot symbolizes the eternity of life. I'm not a big believer in those gemstone or good luck charms in those little souvenir shops, but for some reason, I clung to my dad's gift in the hope that I might be able to find something to keep me going. It felt like it was finally working.

I walked over to my walk-in-robe that was adjoined to my bathroom and selected a blue button up shirt with a design on it like black scales, or something or other. I didn't know what they were but it was one of my favorite shirts. I was still in my light green cargo shorts, and decided to leave them as they were. I walked back into the bedroom and stood at the end of my bed, in front of Toothless. He looked at me as soon as I came in.

"I don't look too bad, do I?" I asked him. He just looked back down and started cleaning his face with his paw. "Well, you're no help." I huffed. I went back downstairs and sat on the couch, waiting for her to arrive. My heart was racing. My first friend in my house in nearly forever. After about five minutes, there was a knock on the door. _Deep breaths, Haddock. It's gonna be okay. _Yeah. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be GREAT! I walked over to the door, looking through the peephole. Astrid, still in her red tank top and blue jeans. I swung the door open a little too quick and she was smiling at me.

"Hey there, stranger," she said. I chuckled.

"Hi," I said quietly. I moved for her so she could come in and she set her bag next to the shoes. Soon as it hit the floor she brought me into a hug. I was surprised at this gesture, but after smelling her sweet perfume and feeling her so close to me, I practically melted into her, holding her tight.

"Astrid Hofferson, do my eyes deceive me?" we heard someone say. We looked over to the living room and saw my mother, staring wide eyed at Astrid whilst hanging up her leather glove. I slowly let go of Astrid and we walked down the three steps of the landing and into the living room. Mum held her arms open to Astrid as we approached.

"Come here, sweetie! I haven't seen you in so long." They both laughed and exchanged friendly kisses and a quick hug. "I cannot believe how tall you've gotten, Astrid."

"Hey, what about Hiccup? He's as tall as me now!" Astrid exclaimed, looking at me. I was sitting on the arm of the couch, watching the events unfold with a grin.

"To be honest, I don't feel tall. I know I am, but I still feel like the midget I was in Middle School." I shrugged.

"Oh please, you're a tall, dark stranger, Haddock." Astrid. "And a handsome one at that!" I laughed and shook my head. "You're too much, Hofferson."

"I can't get over how beautiful you are, Astrid," Mum said. "Hiccup?" I was tempted to say that she was more than beautiful, but that'd just make things awkward. I covered those thoughts up with a mischievous grin. "If you say so," I teased. Astrid jabbed me in the arm and we both laughed.

"Come on, Hiccup. Admit it. You think I'm gorgeous." she pined. I kept my lips pursed in a smile and shook my head slowly. Suddenly, Astrid poked me in the ribs, sending me backwards over the arm of the couch and landing on the cushions, giggling a short burst of laughter. Then I felt her tickle my bare feet, an easy target up in the air. My nerves were set alight and I couldn't stop laughing.

"Astrid! S-Stop it! STOP IT!" I screamed in-between laughs. "Only if you say that I'm beautiful," she said simply.

"Just kill me now!"

"That can be arranged!" she retorted cheerfully. Her fingers stopped at my feet and moved up to my belly. It was getting worse! I was bound to explode at any second.

"Okay okay okay, stop!" I cried. "You're beautiful." She stopped immediately and after spending a minute staring at the back of my eyelids or the other end of the couch, I looked up and saw Astrid cracking her knuckles, and the biggest smirk I'd ever seen. Cute.

"Works every time." she chuckled. She held out a hand and I was pulled back up into a sitting position on the couch arm. Astrid sat next to me and we both looked at my Mum, who was looking at us with...grateful eyes.

"Astrid, I cannot tell you how thankful I am you reached out to Hiccup." she said softly. "Having you back in his life, he's evidently happier than he's ever been."

"Why wouldn't I, Valka?" Astrid asked as she put a hand on my shoulder. "He's my best friend." As soon as I heard that, my insides leaped and I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Mum noticed straight away.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?" I hurriedly brushed it away.

"I'm fine," I sniffed. "Just noticeably happier," I quipped. Mum laughed and stood up, walking towards the front landing.

"I'm going for a run. Stoick will be home soon. Will you two be alright til then?" Astrid and I both nodded and Mum went outside with her runners, leaving us in the living room. It was silent, but it was a friendly silence. Astrid and I, just taking in each other's company. After some point, Astrid stood up and walked over to the piano.

"Haven't seen this thing in a long time," she said as she sat down. I walked over and sat next to her. "Yeah. Still in good condition," I smiled. She looked at me and glanced her eyes in the direction of the keys.

"Huh?" I asked. Then I remembered. "Oh! Right! Well..." I wanted to play for Astrid, but my chest started swelling again. I began to get nervous. "It's not done, and it's probably not even worth-"

"Henry," she interrupted. "Just play the damn song." Whoa! Alright! Since when did Astrid become Sass-trid? I took a breath and played and sang the verse I wrote earlier.

"Hiccup, that was really good." she said, in awe. "Everything flowed well together and I could...feel your emotion very clearly. How did you feel after writing this?"

"I felt...relieved, actually. Like, I finally got some of the millions feelings in me off my chest. I felt good."

"How do you feel now?"

"...Even better," I smiled. We looked at each other for a little bit and I got lost in her eyes. "Can I try?" she asked, snapping me out of it.

"Uh yeah, sure." I said whilst scooting over so she could have more room. She immediately picked up my melody and started playing it flawlessly. Then something else happened. She was singing.

**Herein lies the wounded one, staring down the barrel of a gun  
>shoved in the mouth of a crooked son who lost the meaning of the word fun<strong>  
><strong>Left to wither, left to wilt, head stuck on a permanent tilt, what did it take for you to spill unto the crumbling of your will?<strong>

**Relax your fist, I'll touch your wrist and tell you you're stronger than this  
>Come into my arms, its alright...<strong>  
><strong>Look at this through my eyes, take my hand and we will fly<br>I'll relieve you of the weight that's on your shoulder****s**

She looked at me and stopped. She smiled and nodded, and I nodded back, understanding what she wanted to happen.

**My heart got hurt every day, the pain doesn't forever stay  
>I need your all to help me find the strength to keep fighting another day<br>I feel your touch along my hand, out of a million grains of sand...**

**You'll help me become a man.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone. This is long overdue but here are some shoutouts for reviewers.**

**MrsAvanJogia: YOU'RE amazing. Stay Perfect ;) I stole your thing haha**

**UnbreakableWarrior: Thanks mate, glad you like it.**

**AngryHenry: Haha yeah I thought Hiccup should have some long overdue roughhousing. **

**jaytietge: I'm considering actually arranging these songs at some stage :D (although I can't sing as well as I used to haha) and thank you so much**

**Twest: Yeah, I'm surprised that the vibe ended up the way it is now.**

**I LOVE YOU ALL. SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC!**

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><p>It was virtually done! I couldn't help but laugh in utter joy.<p>

"Astrid, we made a song!" I exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Yeah." That was all she said. "Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. After a long period of silence, she spoke.

"I feel bad, Hiccup," she said, her voice quivering and her eyes downcast.

"Why?"

"I'm worried I offended you," she said. "What? Why would you have offended me? That was amazing," I said, rubbing her back.

"Thanks, but, on reflection, I realized that when you were singing...you were singing directly to me, and I wanted to respond to you, because I could feel your pain, but the words came out wrong in my head. That, and I'm upset I didn't reach out to you a lot sooner. I'm so sorry, Hiccup."

Oh.

"No, no Astrid, its okay. In a way, you already had," I said honestly, touching her hand to get her attention.

"Really?" My eyes bored into hers as she looked at me once again.

"Yes. You said yourself, you were looking out for me even from afar, and the thought of that is beyond comforting to me. And you know I'm not one to hold a grudge...and I honestly didn't think anyone was paying me positive attention, so...thank you." And I did something I never dared to do, ever. I leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek. I withdrew instantaneously, realizing what I did.

"Sorry," I whispered, rubbing the nape of my neck. Then I felt knuckles nick my shoulder.

"For what?" I looked over at Astrid, and she was smiling again. We both laughed quietly. I swung one leg over the other side of the stool so I could look at her directly.

"Hey, I saw what you did there with Scott; He really doesn't know how to have fun anymore, hey?"

"Yeah, he's a douche," Astrid stated.

"You know, I think he and Heather are perfect for each other," I thought aloud. Astrid stifled a laugh and slowly let it out.

"What?!" she cackled.

"If you think about it, she's always been after me, he's always been after you, but we shove it back in their faces. PERFECT MATCH!" I cried, mashing my hands together so my fingers bound. We laughed together, _loudly. _

"Oh, my gods, we have issues," Astrid said whilst wiping a tear from her cheek.

"And I'm damn proud of it!" I screamed. I got up and slid the back door open, looking out over the aviaries and the CBD, way off in the distance.

"YOU HEAR ME, BERK?! I HAVE ISSUES, AND I'M FUCKING PROUD! WHOOOOOOOOO!" I yelled, flipping off the empty space. Down the hill I heard Cloudjumper hoot in response. Back inside, Astrid was laughing even harder than I was, while I was leaning on my knees, giggling at what I just did.

"Hiccup, you better come inside before something happens!" I heard her say.

I spun around and walked back in, straddling the piano stool again.

"Ah, I'm screwed up," I sighed.

"No question about it." I poked my tongue out at her, which she mirrored almost instantly.

"Astrid? Thank you for being here. It's so good you're back in my life."

"I never left, Hiccup," she smiled. My body suddenly lifted and filled up with warmth, like hot helium, so to speak. I smiled right back at her. Right then and there, any bad thoughts and feelings inside me were long gone. My lifelong secret love, the only thing that could cure me of my badness. I looked back over at the piano. Then, a crazy idea popped into my head, and my body buzzed with excitement.

"Astrid, I just thought of something," I said with a determined look.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"We sounded amazing together, and I've got a lot of money saved up for nothing in particular...do you wanna do something about these songs?" Her eyes brightened.

"You mean, like, write and record?" YES! She gets it.

"Yeah! Mum said music would be very therapeutic for me, and you practically nagged me to start playing again -Don't hit me!- and I feel fantastic. But I wanna feel things and express things greater than fantastic, and I think the only way I can do that is with you."

"Hiccup, we may be childhood friends, but right now, I'm refusing your requests for sex," she quipped. My face turned red at the mention of that word, and my dream came back into my mind. Alarm bells rang way off in the distance but surprisingly, they were immediately shut off.

"Classic Astrid, never gets old," I responded dryly. She giggled. "Seriously though, I wanna write and record music, and I think this is the one thing I've come across that I want to commit to. So, if you'll have me, I want you to be a part of this. And let's face it, without you I probably wouldn't know the first thing about setting up equipment and putting together a studio." She clicked her tongue and nodded slowly.

"Very true, very true," she said. "Gobber taught me a thing or two about how acoustics work and how to run mics through mixing boards and I've had a little fun recording my voice on GarageBand, _AND _I work in a music shop, so we'd be able to get a lot of the good gear on the cheap, so yeah, you'd pretty much be helpless without me."

"Goodness, you're right! I'd be up the creek without a paddle!" I cried in mock shock. Then I held out a hand. "So...is that a yes?" She pretended to think about it, screwing up her face and stroking an imaginary beard, like my dad whenever he was deep in thought. She then outstretched her smooth, slender hand and shook mine.

"Henry Haddock, it'd be my pleasure."

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><p><strong>No singing in this one, just more character development. I've surprised myself in how cute their relationship has become so quickly. Things might be getting more serious later on, not sure. REVIEW AND FOLLOW!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone, hope you all had a great Snoggletog and Boxing Day. So, things are starting to pick up, I think! Thank you all for your support and SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC!**

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><p>"So, you're thinking up here?" Astrid asked. We were up in the rec room, surveying the space for our ideal studio.<p>

"Yeah, I think so," I said. "This room's bigger than the others and I'm pretty much the only one who uses it. Plus there's already a Mac in here, so..."

"Oh good! That's one job out of the way," Astrid said excitedly as she nicked me on the arm. "Oh, but what do you wanna do about your stuff?" she asked, pointing to the TV and console.

"Oh they can go in my room, no worries," I assured her. "So...acoustic wise, what were you thinking?"

"Well, I've noticed the ceiling is on a slant, probably joined on to the roof. That might help a bit with projection. Were you thinkin' of using acoustic or electric drums?"

"You know, that didn't actually cross my mind, but I like the sound of playing acoustic drums...if I can play them, that is."

"Yeah, me too. Although we'll probably be drawn to the electronics it'd be good to have something a little more organic, know what I mean?"

Yeah," I smiled. "So...how exactly does the foam and everything work, Astrid?"

"Well, basically, foam in a studio environment is used to absorb and eliminate any unwanted echo or residual sounds being made in a studio space, thus improving the sound quality of our vocals and instruments. Plus, it also stops any unwanted noise from coming in, or getting out."

"Cool!" I said, highly intrigued. "And what, do we just put foam everywhere?" She shook her head and smiled.

"No, Hiccup. We've gotta find places on the walls that might be hit the most by the sounds. That, and foam can be very expensive, so we need to be really articulate and smart about this. The corners are a must for foaming up. I'm thinking we put a few bass-traps in all the corners up top, so the lower end doesn't go too overboard...and a few simple blocks at the back wall here..." she pointed to several spots on the wall opposite the apex of the slant in the ceiling. Then she worked her way around the rest of the room, mapping out where the rest of the foam might go.

"Yeah, I think that oughta do it," Astrid said confidently. "Oh, but Hiccup, were you wanting to use the piano downstairs at all?"

Oh, gods! I forgot about that. That'd be tough. We can't wheel the heavy thing up the steps but recording on it downstairs wouldn't be any easy feat either, as the birds outside might muck the sound up.

"I thought about it...but Cloudjumper...don't worry, we'll work something out," I said.

"Yeah. Okay, that's acoustics sorted. What were you thinking for instruments?"

"Well, we're pretty much agreed on drums, maybe just a little bop kit or something...might look into getting...what are they called, triggers? I know you have a guitar...so we'd need a bass, and I've really got my eyes on that equipment I was playing today."

"Well you're in luck, they're still in the shop," Astrid informed happily. Yes! "Although a few more keyboards might come in handy too...and we need a mixing board and some speakers. We can hook them up to the Mac...I think we've got this sorted!"

"Great!" We high-fived. I then heard a car engine approach the house. That would be Dad. "Hey, come on," I beckoned to Astrid. I lead her out the door and onto the landing, overlooking the front entry, which opened on cue with my dad in the frame, his enormous red beard adorned with flecks of gray overlapping his business suit. My dad was the head of a timber company ever since he was in his late twenties, and the zoo used dad's timber company as a resource to build some of their enclosures. That's also how my parents met. Behind Dad followed none other than the man himself, Gordon "Gobber" Belch. My eyes lit up as I saw the old family friend and I hurried down the stairs to greet him.

"Gobber!" I greeted cheerfully. "Great to see you. Hey Dad." Dad nodded me a silent greeting and went into the living room for his traditional lie down. Gobber looked at me in surprise and clapped me on the shoulder.

"Aye, likewise, Hiccup! Look at you, all grown up, eh?" He then looked up and saw Astrid making her way down the steps.

"Oh, Astrid!" Gobber said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, catching up on two years with this guy," Astrid said, nudging me with her elbow.

"Oh, of course. Well I'm glad you're actually here," he said, suddenly turning grim. "There's something I need to talk to you about, but later. I've been invited for dinner and I think it'd kill the mood prematurely if I broke it to you now or during."

"During?" Astrid asked, confused.

"Oh, Val phoned ahead and invited me for dinner and said that you were welcome too." My heart lept. "I didn't believe you were here at first considering...never mind. This is great! All of us seeing each other again."

Soon afterwards Mum returned home from her run, and after kissing Dad and giving Gobber a hug, we all went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Fish kebabs and steamed vegetables. I'd (and probably everyone who's crossed paths with my mother) hate to admit it, but Valka Haddock can NOT cook on her own, so we all offer to volunteer to help out when she announces she's making something like her infamous meatballs, or the kebabs. I really like the kitchen. Its one of the few places in the world where you can truly spend quality time with somebody and talk about anything, as well as work together to make something. Astrid and I had the job of filleting and slicing the fish Mum likes to catch from the river below our property. It was messy work, but we had fun.

"How long has it been since we last went fishing?" I asked her as I pin-boned a fillet of trout.

"I dunno," Astrid pondered. "Although I remember you once caught a lot of salmon, and Toothless slept for days when you brought some home for him to eat." Poor guy. He loves fish too much. I've caught him a couple of times down at the river trying to swipe at the fish that lurked beneath the surface. Fool. He doesn't know any better.

"Oh yeah, I remember that day. Good times."

"Indeed," Astrid sighed. That was the last trout fillet done, and I reached across for the Chef's knife, but Astrid had the same idea as me, and her being closer, wrapped her fingers around the hilt first and before I could react, my fingers landed on hers. I gasped quietly, looking at Astrid, her expression similar to mine but her hand unmoving. But after a few seconds, we laughed nervously and I slowly moved my hand away, silently gesturing for her to use the knife first. As if, right on cue, the previously unseen Toothless, now seated on a bar-stool opposite the kitchen island I was working on, mewed at me and had such a cheeky glint in his eyes, with his pupils fully rounded, showing mock innocence.

"What are you looking at?" I sneered, and I threw him a tiny piece of fish so he kept his silence. He immediately hopped up and caught it in mid air. I laughed and batted at my hands, shooing him away. He pestered off to play on his scratching post.

Once dinner was sorted, we all sat around the table, eating the (thank gods!) delicious meal and reminiscing past times with all of us -Gobber telling us stories of Scotland with Dad, Mum remembering Astrid growing up, and the bird program.

"Oh, Stoick," Mum said suddenly. "I've been given a case of Macaws that were injured. I expect they'll be here within a few weeks. I'll need more timber for another enclosure. I've been filling up so much on patients I'm running out of room."

"For you, my dear, anything," Dad nodded, understanding her concern for the creatures.

"Macaws?" Astrid asked, suddenly intrigued. "What happened to them, Valka?"

"Poor things flew into an old trap down south. They're gonna need a _lot _of help." Wow, I thought. Crazy stuff.

"That's terrible! I hope they're okay."

"Me too, Astrid." Mum prayed. We carried on eating and I nudged Astrid.

"Hey, I didn't know you liked parrots!" I whispered.

"Favourite animal, Hiccup. And you're not the only reason I came around here all the time when we were younger," she teased. I mocked a sad face and we both giggled. Once dinner was finished, we got the dishes done and we all settled in the living room, Astrid and I sitting together, Toothless dividing his dozing body between our two laps. Then after a while Mum and Dad went outside to watch the sunset and check on the birds one more time, and Gobber came over to us, sitting on an ottoman.

"Astrid, now might be a good time to talk about what I wanted to see you about." He said. I gently picked Toothless up and cradled him in my arms like a baby.

"Do you want me to leave, or..?" I asked, beginning to stand.

"Nah, its okay, lad. You can sit if you like." I sat back down. "Now, Astrid, I've gotten a bit of bad news today and you're not gonna like it." Astrid and I looked at each other, concern in both our eyes.

"What is it, Gobber?" He took a deep breath and Astrid looked a little frightened. Nerves aside, I put my hand on hers for support. Her fingers wrapped around my palm quickly.

"The shop's gone into receivership. We're losing our jobs."

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><p><strong>Have a happy new years, guys!<strong>

**-Ollie**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone. From here on out the updates are going to be random. THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN UPDATED* Love you guys and enjoy. SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC**

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><p>"What does that mean?!" I interrupted.<p>

"It means that we've lost too much customers to keep running the shop. If we can't get enough people to buy our products, we lose the financial stability and I can't renew the rent to keep it going. That and I won't be able to pay Astrid as much as I normally do." Gobber sighed. I then understood what he meant. When I first went into the shop, it was virtually empty. No one was there to ogle or buy the beautiful instruments, save for me.

"Gods above, I'm so sorry to hear this guys," I said. I looked at Astrid, and she looked...frightened.

"No...I can't lose this! I won't lose this! Gobber, can't you do something?!" she practically screamed. This Astrid Hofferson, I had never seen, or felt. Our hands were still tightly bound, although mine was shaking, hers were trembling just as hard, to my surprise, and I began to feel sick. Any positivity I had earlier had faded.

"Astrid...it's gonna be okay," I struggled, fighting the fear filling in my chest. I was getting nervous about this new Astrid, but if she was strength for me, it seemed only fair for me to return the favour. Hel, it felt like second nature.

"No, it won't Hiccup!" she exploded, letting go of me. "I can't lose this! This job is the only thing keeping me afloat and him away!" And with that, she promptly stood up and went upstairs, leaving Gobber, Toothless and I in a slack-jawed silence that was briefly interrupted by a door closing. Afloat? Him? Where was all this coming from? Gobber looked down and noticed my shaking hands.

"Breathe nice and easy, Hiccup. I'm right here." Gobber said soothingly, putting a hand on my shoulder. I kicked off of my routine, and combined with Toothless resting his paws on my shoulder and knowingly nuzzling my face, purring reverberating in my skin, the pain was slowly being counteracted. Once I'd calmed down, I grabbed Toothless and held him close to me.

"Gobber, I've never seen Astrid like that before!" I gasped. "Has she always been like this?"

"Not my place to say, Hiccup," Gobber said firmly. "All I can tell you is go and speak to Astrid, be a friend, and help her out if this happens again."

"You're being very mysterious...what's going on?"

"Can't tell you, Hiccup. Only Astrid can, if she wants to." I was very confused.

"...Is there nothing we can do to save the shop?" I asked, changing the subject.

"The only way I can do that is to buy it back. But the only way I can get the money to do that is to sell everything in the shop on the cheap, and that still won't be enough." Wait. I've got it.

"Gobber. I've thought of something that could help out." The two limbed man raised his eyes and fixed his attention on me.

"I'm all ears, lad," he said tiredly.

"Astrid and I are planning on setting up a home studio and recording a CD. I know it might not seem like much, but I'll be more than happy to purchase the equipment we need from the Forge and I'll pay full price."

"You're a good lad, Hiccup but you don't need to-"

"Gobber!" I cut him off. "I want to. You and Astrid are my oldest friends and I want to repay you and her for being in my lives. You're practically family and I'm helping you, whether you like it or not." I put my foot down. Gobber was silent for a while and had a good think about my proposition.

"Okay, but on one condition." I winced at what I might have to do.

"Yeah?"

"You let me master the tracks when you're done." he smiled.

"Don't see anything wrong with that!" I shrugged and chuckled. "Um, is there a deadline to meet for the rent or whatever?"

"We have three or so months. Thanks for your help, Hiccup. I don't want to lose the shop as much as Astrid does. That cavern of Casios and acoustics is my baby. No way am I losing it." I nodded.

"And I don't want to see it shut down. Lots of good stuff in there that can go a long way."

"Aye." We smiled knowingly at each other, and Gobber reached over to fondle Toothless' head.

"Well, I think I'll head home. I'm gonna say bye to Stoick and Val. Good to see you laddie." Gobber stretched and walked over to the back door, fingers dragging along the piano as he hobbled to the door, leaving music reverberating up the high ceiling room.

"You too, Gobber!" I called out. I looked upstairs, wondering how Astrid was. Toothless still in my arms, I ascended the staircase and heard movement come from the rec room. I rapped on the door softly.

"Astrid?" I called out. "You okay?"

"Yeah...come in." I slowly opened the door and as soon as I entered, Toothless leaped out of my arms and ran over to a slightly shaky Astrid, who was sitting on the lonely couch at the back wall, the room only illuminated by the standing lamp next to Astrid. Hey eyes were stained with tears and she hurriedly wiped them away as Toothless climbed onto her lap and started nuzzling her affectionately. Best thing about that damn cat was he knew when you were upset, and wouldn't stop giving you love until you were happier. I followed suit and cautiously sat next to her.

"You alright?" I asked.

"I'm better," she said, looking at me with a stern smile. "Thanks Toothless," she said, running nervous fingers down the cat's back, which resulted in even more purring.

"I uh...I've never seen that before." I murmured.

"Oh, that. I...that was just me overreacting. My first job, and you'd expect to panic when you're told you're gonna lose it, right?" she said quickly, avoiding my gaze.

"...But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" I asked soberly. She looked up at me again and sighed deeply.

"Yeah," she nodded slowly. Toothless hopped off her lap and slunk across to the ajar door, but before leaving he looked at me. His eyes seemed to say _You've got this, my brother._

_Thanks bud, _my eyes replied. When he left I returned my focus to Astrid.

"Hiccup, I've been trying to keep this from you and your family for so long, because I didn't want you guys to worry."

"Keep what?" she now had my full attention.

"I...I don't know how to say this, but...I can't, I'm too scared-" she was cut off when my hands cupped her face delicately.

"Don't be afraid, Astrid," I whispered as I softened my eyes with concern and security. She looked into mine and she stopped quivering. "It's only me here. And I know that you're a Hel of a lot braver than I am. You can do this. And sometimes it helps to talk about these things. I promise I am not here to judge. I am here to listen and help in any way that I can, and always will be...because I l-" No! Not now! You idiot...I mentally kicked myself before I felt Astrid cock her head slightly.

"You what?" I noticed the corner of her mouth turn up in the barest trace of a smile. Fuck. She has an idea. I slowly pulled my hands away and sighed.

"...I care about you so much," I murmured. "Anyway, this is about me helping you." Astrid then nodded, took a deep breath and what I heard, shocked me to my core.

"Around two years ago...it was when you started to drift away, actually, I got my report card on the last day of ninth grade and...it wasn't good, even though I'd put so much time and effort into my work. From day 1, my father liked perfection, and always hated it every time I said something out of line, or...made a mistake when I was doing my chores, or when Mum was just a little clumsy...I was terrified of what I might come home to. When I did get home, he dropped his forty as soon as he saw my report card...and...he..." Astrid buried her face in my neck and started crying. Wet chest the least of my worries, I wrapped her up tightly and slowly rocked her. Then I started crying because she was crying.

"What happened?" I choked.

"...he hurt me."

I froze, horrified at this revelation. Then I started crying even more. My Astrid, treated like a fucking ragdoll? Holy shit...

"...Is he...is he still with you?" I shuddered at the thought.

"No, thank gods," Astrid choked. "As soon as Mum and I recovered from...what happened to us, although I don't think I ever _will_ recover from it...every time I think about what happened I stress _so much._" Oh, my gods. She knew what I've been going through, and I mean _really _knew.

"We got our things, took my baby brother and got far, far away from him. I've been subsidizing my mother's income by working at the Forge and we've been doing okay for a while...but if I can't keep bringing money in, he'll find us and destroy us again, and that's so fucking sad for me, because...I feel its my responsibility to provide for my family. I did this. And if I can't keep my family safe...I'm a failure."

"You're _not _a failure Astrid and this was _not _your fault," I said as more hot tears poured down my cheeks. "If anything you are the complete opposite. You're a hero. You save me from my torment whenever it creeps on me and to take on such a responsibility to protect those you love...does that even sound remotely like a failure?" She slowly lifted her head from my neck and looked at me.

"No?"

"_No." _I said firmly, bracing her upper arms with my hands. "You are the bravest, kindest, most considerate person on this planet, and not a single thing is gonna bring you down, do you hear me?" I said, on the verge of hysteria. It took a second, but she properly smiled and hugged me again, contesting my tight embrace.

"Thank you, Hiccup," she whispered. "That means a lot to me. _You_ mean a lot to me."

"Ditto, Astrid." I whispered back. She slowly pulled away, but not before pausing inches from my face. We both looked at each other, not moving. My eyes glanced down at her lips, and before I knew what was happening I slowly leaned forward, not knowing what I was doing. Astrid looked just as confused as I did but she was leaning forward too. Was I dreaming? Is this real? What _is _real? I slowly tilted my head and just hesitated for a brief moment, both of us breathing in each other's breaths.

"Astrid, what are we doing?" I barely whispered. She brushed the tips of her fingers across my cheek ever so softly and I shuddered at her excruciatingly beautiful touch.

"...I don't know..."

And then we kissed. Just once. A whole childhood of wanting to kiss my oldest friend lead to here. A million emotions were going through my mind. Joy, confusion, love, sadness...I was so elated at what was happening, but at the same time...I felt weird for kissing her in that situation, and sad at the fact that this might not happen again...I don't know. We both weren't thinking in that moment. We withdrew slowly and just looked at each other. After what seemed like an eternity, one of us finally spoke.

"Can I...can I stay in here tonight?" Was she seriously asking this? This was her second home for so many years.

"Of course." I whispered, nodding. She shuffled her body so her legs extended to the other end of the couch. Still holding on to me, she slowly put her weight down on the cushions, pulling me down with her. I resisted slightly.

"Will you stay with me?" she pleaded. I relaxed a little more.

"Sure." I let my body go limp and lay down next to her, my spine pushing up against the back of the couch. I enveloped her again and we were lying down, our foreheads touching.

"Are you cold?" I asked. Her forehead bumped mine a little.

"A bit." I took my arm around her right side and I reached behind me, pulling down a throw rug that was draped over the back of the couch and nestled us underneath.

"Better?"

"Yeah." I smiled lovingly at her.

"'Kay." I reached again but for the switch on the lamp and the light in the room disappeared. I cuddled closer to Astrid and she held me tighter.

"'Night, Astrid."

"Good night." Hours later, I woke up and thought about what I really wanted to say while watching Astrid peacefully sleep.

_Will you stay with me?_

_**Always.**_

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><p><strong>Hope the update is more satisfying.<strong>

**-Ollie**


	9. Chapter 9

**So...that happened, haha. I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. I've started listening to the Soundtrack of the film "Her", an excellent movie and actually my favourite, to help me write. Thanks to you guys who are reviewing, especially to jaytiege. Dude, your words really got me good. Here's the next chapter. Please review dudes and SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC. LISTEN OUT FOR TRIPLE J'S HOTTEST 100 ON JANUARY 26TH IF YOU'RE NEAR THE AUSTRALIAN TIMEZONE. MY AMERICAN READERS, 25TH JANUARY.**

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><p>Hours later, the sun invaded the rec room and overpowered my eyelids' powers of filtering light, and I subconsiously pulled the blanket over my face to welcome back the dark and bring on more sleep. Shifting slightly to get more comfortable, I opened my eyes slightly to assess my position, and took in a most beautiful sight to behold: Astrid Hofferson, still deep in slumber, dreaming of the good things, evident by the slight smile on her face. I noticed a few loose strands of her golden hair fell around her eyes. Quietly smirking, I reached up to her beautiful hair and tucked them behind her right ear. My fingers remained on her face, feeling her once untouchable beauty. This moment was so perfect. Silence, safety, comfort and uninterrupted viewing of the testament to the eternal majesty of the gods' creation. But could this moment ever live on and survive to make another appearance, in some other situation? Would what happened last night continue to mean something deeper than what it seemed? Would we kiss again? Would we fall in love together? Would we experience that kind of connection that people say is one of the most exciting parts of life? Would my dreams become reality? Would I be finally cured of my condition? Would we promise to hold and cure each other whenever we get bad again? ...All I could do was wait and see what would come, and try to make this moment last, where not time or space could pull us apart, as I held on tightly to the one thing that made me better, and prayed that I didn't let her go.<p>

My eyes shot open and darted about, then settled on Astrid when I realised I just dozed off for an hour or two and was still here, safe and warm in her embrace, in fact a little too warm. The heat of the sun made the atmosphere of the room sticky and stuffy beyond bearability, so I took one arm from Astrid and with as little movement as possible, took the blanket off of us and pushed it down onto the floor, allowing sweet relief to wash over us, but not enough to stay cool. I noticed how strongly my shirt was clinging to my chest, and felt I needed to take off the yucky stuff. Looking around, I spotted my black v-neck, folded up on the edge of my desk. I wanted to go over there and grab it, but the idea of disturbing Astrid seemed like a sin so taboo it was worthy of the Blood Eagle, a method of execution our ancestors used that has since been long outdated. Henry would you relax? She's deep enough that nothing will ever hurt her or bring her out of her place. Bearing that in mind, I gingerly unwound myself from Astrid's arms and shuffled my butt to the other end of the couch, pushed my legs over the arm and stood up on the carpet. I tip-toed over to the desk and ran my fingers through the dark cotton, faintly smelling of fabric softener. Mum must've washed this and found us in here...hope she didn't get any funny ideas. I looked behind me to make sure Astrid was still facing the couch, which she was. Phew. I peeled off my dragon scale print button-up and draped it over the desk chair, next to one of my bath towels that I left in here to dry at some stage. I picked it up and ran it across my face and torso, collecting the beads of moisture on my body and slightly toning down the smell of tacos...why was it the smell of tacos that went with my sweat? It's a really weird thing I don't think I, or any male guy my age will understand. One of the mysteries of growing up. Just one more year of puberty to go, then I'll be free, I thought dryly.

"Good morning," I heard someone yawn. Shit! I spun around quickly, covering up my skin with the bunched up towel sloppily cradled in my arms. Astrid was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Soon as the morning glare cleared her vision, she started to just look at me.

"Hiccup, why do you have your shirt off?" she inquired. Then her eyebrows knitted together. "Oh, my gods, we didnt-"

"Oh, no no no!" I nearly screamed, hands fluttering about the place. Unfortunately the towel dropped to the floor and she saw more of me. Feeling weird, I crossed my arms and brought my shoulders up, trying to appear a bit more modest. "I just got a little sweaty and wanted to change my shirt...and I'm sorry I'm being like..._this,_ I'm just a little self-conscious about my body," I admitted.

"Why?" She asked incredulously. "It's only me in here, not the jocks in the locker-room. And you shouldn't need to feel that way about yourself, Hiccup. It's your body. Nobody can change or force you to change it. It's your identity, and part of what makes you you. And if I'll be totally honest, I like what I see." Wait, what? Did she actually say that?

"Astrid, are you...checking me out?" I asked, my hands now on my hips. Moving my arms must've done something, because I noticed her eyes immediately darted away and her cheeks turned red. She was!

"What? Um...no?" She responded nervously.

"You were, weren't you?" I asked, feeling a cheeky grin form on my face. Oh, yeah, this'll work. She gives in to secrets when I do this.

"Oh, no Hiccup, come on, not that!" Yes! It was still working. Well played, Haddock. Well played.

"You we-ere," I sing songed. After a brief back and forth, she finally relented.

"Urgh, okay you got me!" she said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. I just laughed and walked across the room to open a window.

"Ah, that's much better," I sighed. A breeze coming in from the north made a little bypass into the room and flushed out the heat. I then went back to the desk, slid into my v-neck and applied some roll on deodorant I found next to the computer.

"Can't have you looking at me ALL day, can we?" I teased. Astrid laughed.

"No we cannot." I then approached the couch and sat next to her.

Um, Astrid?" I asked in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry about what happened last night. I didn't mean for it to happen..."

"No, Hiccup, it's okay, it's okay. We were both emotional and looking for comfort."

"Yeah...but...d-did you like it?" I asked. She regarded me seriously, and took my hands.

"If I'll be honest with you...it felt really nice. You were very gentle and I felt better, even more so when you stayed with me...how was it for you?"

"Essentially the same. I thought it was sweet for my first kiss, even more so that it was with you. But afterwards, I had a mixed bag of emotions, really. I was excited that the moment was happening but at the same time, I felt really guilty for kissing you in a situation where some people would try to take advantage of a girl...phew, I'm gonna...I'm gonna tell you some things that I've been keeping from you, too."

"Oh, okay," Astrid said, surprised. I held her hands tighter and let it out.

"I've had a crush on you for as long as I can remember, Astrid, and I'm so grateful that my first kiss was with you. And over the years my feelings for you have gotten deeper and I think I...I'll stop there. I just wanted to know...did you feel something last night?" She just looked at me with wide eyes, and then gasped with a soft smile.

"Yeah, I did," she said quietly, letting go of my hand and running her fingers along her mouth. "I think, in the back of my mind I always had a crush on you, but I tried to push it out because we were just friends. But after you and I started talking again...and after what happened last night...I think I can finally accept it."

I didn't know what to say to that, even though my insides groaned with relief and instantly settled, so I just said "Good for you." She nodded and we both stared straight ahead. Then she looked at me.

"So...are we a thing, Hiccup?" she asked.

"I don't know...we don't have to be." I said honestly. "Whatever happens, I still want us to be friends, because I've realized the good time we've been spending together over the last day, have made me feel a lot better than I have been in 2 years."

"Yeah, I've noticed. And I'm glad you feel good, Hiccup." She then took a moment to ponder something. "I guess we could...play it by ear? See what happens? And if it doesn't work out no one gets hurt." That sounded alright.

"Um...yeah, I guess we could try that." I answered, smiling. Astrid laughed in relief.

"Great!' she said. So we weren't a thing...but we had a thing, and this was more than great for me. She suddenly stood up and held out her hand.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked as I took her hand. She said nothing and lead me out the door, quickly stopping to put our shoes on, and ending up in the front yard, unlocking her blue Toyota sedan.

"We're going shopping for music."

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><p><strong>So, they're...something! Yay! Haha please review<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**For those of you who had no clue what I was talking about when I was saying HOTTEST 100, its an annual music poll conducted by Australian radio network Triple J, and people all over the world (2 million for this year) vote for music of the past year to make it into the countdown, and guess who made the number 1 spot? That's right! CHET FAKER FOR TALK IS CHEAP! WEW! Haha enough of my fangirling and lets get down to some storytelling. Nearly at 100 follows! I'm so pumped thank you all for your support. Please keep the reviews coming.**

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><p>"So, you think there'll be enough between us to get started?" Astrid asked as she drove us out the gate.<p>

"Oh, yeah, absolutely. Whatever money my Mum's given me for my odd jobs of helping her out with the birds over the past couple years has rarely been spent on. This kinda feels weird that we're doing this, Astrid."

"How so?"

"Well...I dunno, it's just...I think the other people at school who are aware of my existence, have these expectations of me to splurge all my money as soon as a single cent appears in my account, but that was never me. I never did nor do take my family's wealth for granted, and I value working up to something to earn it."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Hiccup. There aren't that many people in the world who associate their money with wanting more of it for creature comforts."

"Yeah...huh, just before I was about to say that, I felt weird for splurging all my cash on some expensive, high quality stuff, but now that we're talking about it in that perspective of saving up and not taking our money for granted, I actually feel kinda good about this now." I smiled.

"You should! You're making a positive investment in something that you're good at and will last a long time." Astrid assured me.

"Yeah...I'm excited! Are you excited?"

"Hel yeah!" We high-fived each other, then our fingers involuntarily locked into place. I looked at Astrid, and she quickly glanced at me with a smile, but looked back at the road so she could keep driving. I angled my head slightly and saw a blush creep up on her face. I laughed quietly before I felt my cheeks heat up. Neither of us made a move to let go. Things were moving slowly for us, but that's what we needed in that moment, and it still felt like last night.

The drive went by in silence, but it was the comfortable silence. We were both happy to the point where we didn't need to talk. We were just present in each other's company. After about twenty minutes, we pulled up to the store front of the Forge. Gobber had put up signs in the window saying EVERYTHING MUST GO! UP TO 70% ON ALL SELECTED STOCK.

"Oh, no," I murmured. "That's gonna bring down the prices in the shop a lot." I looked at Astrid, and she nodded at me in agreement, but something was off about her. I looked down and saw her knees twitching. It's a sign! I took my other hand and sandwiched Astrid's between mine, trying my best to rub her hand soothingly.

"It'll be okay, Astrid. We're gonna be buying a lot of stuff anyway, so we'll still be helping out to save the shop and your job, yeah?" I said quietly. She let out a breath she was holding and looked at me.

"...Okay."

"Okay?" I smiled reassuringly. We got out of the car and as soon as Astrid made it around to me she took my hand again. I gladly accepted the gesture and held her tight. We entered the shop and not a lot had changed since yesterday. Walking down the hallway, we noticed Gobber going over some archiving, but our ears then picked up something new. In the room next to all the keyboards and the pianos, came a noise that was frantic, loud and impressive. We got to the desk and Gobber acknowledged us with a nod.

"Gobber, what is that?!" I nearly yell. Astrid and I let go of each other's hands so we could block our ears.

"Lad with a funny voice about your age just took to one of the drum kits," he explained casually. "He's been playing in there for a while. Haven't asked him to stop because he is actually decent and shows respect for those drums...Although he is getting a bit loud. Could you tell him to tone it down a bit?"

"Sure!" Astrid yelled. I nodded and followed Astrid into the drums and percussion room. I got a better look at it than the last time I was in there breathing. On the left there were around a hundred cymbals of different sizes, shapes and finishes, some being very shiny and others looking very matted and dirty. On the floor there were several different kits taking up the space, one of them a sparkly purple drum kit that had _Pearl _printed on the front of the bass drum. Surrounding it were cymbals that said SABIAN. They were being bashed with such energy, creativity and passion by a guy who did look around our age. He had short blonde hair messed up with a little gel, intense blue eyes darting around the drum set and was wearing a blue denim button up shirt with tiny dark blue and white stars printed all over, navy jeans and brown leather boots. His arms were flinging about the place and it looked like his stamina was endless. Astrid and I looked at each other, our eyes saying to each other, WOW! He snapped out of his trance when he saw us watching with intent.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," he said, choking* the cymbals silent and putting the sticks in a nearby bucket, full to the brim that said (TESTING STICKS). "Guy at the desk wasn't complaining so I figured...sorry if I was too loud." Gobber was right. There _was_ something funny about his accent. Suddenly, Astrid took a step forward.

"You uh...you look familiar, have we met before?" She asked. He looked at her and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Maybe...you look familiar too...um, have you been to Melbourne in the past year or so?" he asked. Melbourne? OH, he must be Australian. That explains the voice, I thought.

"Yeah, actually! How did you guess?"

"I remember sitting next to an American girl called Astrid who was with her mother and little brother at a Chet Faker concert." Then I saw her eyes widen.

"...Oh, my gods! I remember you! You're um...Wall...no, William! William! Yes! I remember you!" she cried.

"Wait, you're Astrid? Wow! What are the odds?! I swear to the gods, this is amazing!" he stepped around the drum kit and shook her hand.

"Wow, I can't believe...it's a small world, hey?" she said.

"Yeah, indeed! Who's this?" William asked, gesturing to me. "Is he your partner, or...?"

"Oh, no, she's not my partner," I said, arms wailing about the place again. "We're um...we're just starting out, aren't we?" I asked Astrid.

"Yeah, that's about right," she smiled softly. "Although he _is _my partner-in-crime." he laughed at that. Seems like a nice guy, I thought.

"Ah, good for you guys," he said sincerely. He then held out a hand. "Nice to meet you mate, I'm William, but please call me Will."

"Henry, but please call me Hiccup." I said as I returned the handshake.

"Hiccup?" he asked. "Unusual nickname...I love it!" he said. We all chuckled.

"So, what are you doing in Berk, Will?" Astrid asked.

"Oh, my parents got a twelve month work placement up here-just moved here, actually-and we're gonna be living here until June next year, I think."

"Oh, cool!" I said. "Where are your parents working?"

"They're zoologists, so the zoo just down the way from the city, I'm pretty sure." Wait, what?

"Really? My Mum works at the zoo too!" I cried. "She works with the birds."

"Oh yeah, my Mum mentioned a bird show. She said it was really cool to watch. I wanna see it sometime."

"Well, hey, if your parents and my mother work at the zoo, we can get you a closer look at the birds if you're interested-you too Astrid! I know you love parrots."

Yeah, that is true," she chuckled. "Will, that was incredible! You never told me you were a drummer."

"Oh, didn't I? I've been drumming nearly all my life. I had a band back home actually, but I had to quit and sell my drum kit so I could have some money for when I came here. Didn't want to let her go...she was exactly like the kit I was playing just now." He pointed to the set behind him. "Worth a lot of money too." He held up the price tag that read:

**"PEARL REFERENCE MAPLE SERIES SHELL PACK - PURPLE CRAZE II FINISH"**  
><strong><span>$3500 - DOWN TO $2100<br>**

"Whoa!" Astrid and I said together.

"And that's only for the drum shells," he added. "I'd have to buy all the hardware and cymbals for it separately, and that'll be even more money." He sighed. "Hope I can still play drums while I'm still here..." Poor guy. I looked over at Astrid. She had her arms crossed and was deep in thought, regarding Will intensely.

"Get back on the kit, Will."

"What?" he asked.

"No questions, just get back on the kit."

"Um, okay." He awkwardly stepped between drum sets and settled back on his original drum stool.

"Okay, play a rock beat." She demanded. He looked confused but nodded. He started to play. He had a solid rhythm and his bass drum was well accented.

"Nice...now swing!" his hand switched positions and began playing on a huge cymbal to his right, ever so lightly and you could barely hear the bass drum.

Good, good...now double time swing!" He kept playing the same groove but doubled his speed.

"Faster." He obliged. "Faster!" He got faster. "FASTER!" Astrid yelled, a huge smile on her face. He was going at such a ridiculous pace, but every cymbal stroke he made was perfect.

"Now Double kick drum fills!" What was she saying? I then looked down and noticed his left foot had immediately moved from the hi-hat pedal to another one next to it, that was attached to a rod that extended around to the bass drum. Then, the kick's thump suddenly multiplied, and his feet were moving just as fast as his arms, but everything sounded so in sync! The tom toms and bass drum together sounded like machine guns that were firing endless rounds into the tall room. After about thirty seconds, he finally stopped. Sweat dripped from his brow and he was panting heavily.

"Why did...why did you ask me to do that?" he huffed. Astrid just looked at me, smiled and nicked my arm.

"I think we found ourselves a drummer."

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><p><strong>OC Introduction! Haha not sure if it's a thing authors do in their stories, but Will is meant to be based on me. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this one! Please review.<strong>

*** = Choking a cymbal means to pinch or grab it after it's been hit to immediately stop the noise. Good for accenting in your music.**


	11. Chapter 11

**SOOOOOO CLOSE TO 100 FOLLOWERS! Thank you guys so much.**

**SONGS RETURN!**

**KEY:**

**BOLD = HICCUP**

_Italic = Astrid_

Underline = Will

**Bold/Underline = Hiccup and Will**

You get the idea.

Lyrics are property of Andre Young, Chauncey Hannibal, Teddy Riley, William Stewart, Lynise Walters, Richard Vick and Bill Withers. Song is Chet Faker's cover.

** Keep reviewing and SUPPORT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC!**

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><p>"Wait, what?" I heard Will puff. Yep. We need him.<p>

"Sorry, rephrase," I began. "Will, this is gonna sound crazy because we...well, barely know you, but after what we just saw, we...yeah, both of us?" I asked Astrid. She nodded eagerly.

"We want to talk to you about the idea of joining in a project we're working on." I finished. His eyes widened and switched his glances between Astrid and I.

"Really? You want _me?"_ We nodded enthusiastically. "Are you sure? Like you said, we barely know each other, and I don't even have a kit..." he trailed off.

"Do you have a job, Will?" Astrid asked the aussie.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, good! Since you have income, we could help out with that." Astrid said, putting on her employee face.

"How? I can't buy another kit. I'm only here for a year and even if I could afford another one, it'd cost a lot to freight it back home."

"That's not what I'm thinking...have you ever heard of people renting instruments?"

"_Renting? _...Oh yeah! My music shop had a rental service for everything pretty much, but they were the only one in town who did that kind of stuff. I didn't think you guys did it too."

"Oh yeah, we've been doing it for a couple of years."

"How does it work, Astrid?" I asked.

"Well, anyone who wants some good gear but can't afford to pay full price right away, normally applies for a rental plan on the instrument, and every month a little bit of money is taken out of their account to pay it off, and after a certain amount of time, the original price of the instrument goes down and they can apply to pay for it in full for the discounted price. And the more you pay it off, the cheaper it gets to buy altogether. Say...Will wanted to rent a set of cymbals worth $1000. After six months of paying it off, the price would drop to $890, then after 8 months, $645 and so on."

"Yeah, that's exactly what my shop do," Will affirmed. "So, if I accept, you guys would be able to set me up with a rental plan?" he asked hopefully.

"Not me." I said. "She's the brains behind the operation; I just drive the dragon." The two of them laughed.

"So...will you have us, Will?" I asked, crossing my fingers. "Neither of us can play drums and we think you're incredible." He laughed in disbelief, smiled at us.

"First couple of days of living here, I've made two new friends who happen to love music like I do, and I've already been asked to join a band...how on Earth could I say no?" He laughed. I felt my stomach unknot and I walked forward to bump his outstretched fist.

"So...welcome!"

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><p>"So, what are you guys after?" Will asked as we looked over the keys and DJ equipment, the sampling pad I "played drums" on yesterday was called "MASCHINE" on closer inspection.<p>

"So far, I'm really keen to grab these," I said, pointing to the MASCHINE and little keyboard.

"Oh yeah, I've seen these before," tapping his fingers on the rubber pads. He switched over to a percussion patch and made a bongo beat.

"So, Will, do you play anything besides drums?" I asked.

"Well, before my dad got into animals, he was a musician and he taught me how to play bass when I was little. Then...I kinda taught myself guitar and keys, and my uncle Patrick got me into drumming. He used to take me to his soundcheck at the hotel every Saturday night and I got to hit the drums for a little bit sometimes. First song I remember playing on drums was actually Dammit by Blink 182. Haven't played it in so long...Hm. All I wanted to be was a rock-star...I hope I can make a career of this." He smiled softly. I put my arm on his shoulder.

"Hey, if you're that committed and that into it, I reckon you should go for it."

"I really want to. I just sometimes can't help but feel like I'm being held back somehow...I dunno. But I remember something someone told me last year: "Finding personal fulfillment through music is the greatest reward anyone can achieve." WOW. That was deep.

"Who said that?" I asked, blown away.

"Jay Weinberg, the rumoured drummer for Slipknot right now. I found his email, sent him a message, he replied and I was in awe of his words, and will always be."

"I think I'll have to steal that," I joked. "That is the truest thing I've heard in a while."

"Yeah...how do you feel when you play music, Hiccup?" It's hard to describe, honestly, but I managed to say something.

"Free...I feel free." He smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Me too." Then I saw his body language suddenly freeze, his gaze locked on the MASCHINE which had just been programmed with a new patch, and he looked back at me with wide eyes.

"Hey, can we try something?" he asked, excitement playing on his lips.

"Uh, yeah sure! What did you want to do?"

"Play a G minor, F major and C major in that order," he asked, gesturing to the keyboard. I complied and played the chord progression.

"Awesome, awesome...do that again, but switch it to an electric organ, almost...and play over and over again." I found an organ patch that sounded good, Astrid leaned next to me and shot me a huge smile.

"I know what he's up to." Astrid said mischievously.

"What?" I asked, not pausing. Then I looked to my left and saw Will making a beat on the MASCHINE.

"You're gonna love this, Hiccup," Astrid said. "No Diggity."

* * *

><p><span>Shorty get down, good Lord<span>  
><span>Baby got 'em open all over town<span>  
><span>Strictly biz, don't play around<span>  
><span>Cover much ground, got game by the pound<span>  
><span>Getting paid is a forte<span>  
><span>Each and every day, two player way<span>  
><span>I can't get her out of my mind<span>  
><span>I think about the girl all the time<span>

East side to the west side  
><span>Pushing phat rides, it's no surprise<span>  
><span>She got tricks in the stash<span>  
><span>Stacking up cash<span>  
><span>Fast when it comes to the gas<span>  
><span>By no means average<span>  
><span>As long as she's got to have it<span>  
><span>Baby, you're a perfect ten<span>

_(I like the way you work it_  
><span><em>No diggity, I gotta bag it up)<em>  
><span><em>[x4]<em>

She's got class and style  
><span>Seen knowledge by the mile,<span>  
><span>Baby never act wild<span>  
><span>Very low key on the profile<span>  
><span>Catching villains is a no,<span>  
><span>Let me tell you how it goes<span>  
><span>Curves the words, spins the verbs<span>  
><span>Lovers it curves so freak what you heard<span>

_Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo_  
><span>Man that girl look good<span>  
><em>Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo<em>  
><span>Play on, play on<span>  
><strong><em>Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo<em>**  
><span>She's got class and style<span>  
><strong><em>Hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo<em>**  
><span>No diggity no, no no<span>

_**(I like the way you work it**_  
><span><em><strong>No diggity, I gotta bag it up)<strong>_  
><span><em><strong>[x8]<strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>MORE MUSIC, FINALLY. haha please review<strong>

**-Ollie**


	12. Chapter 12

**97 FOLLOWERS?! I AM LOST FOR WORDS. THANK YOU GUYS :)**

* * *

><p>"What?! You sing too?" I asked. That was our first ever "jam"! That was fun!<p>

"Mainly in the shower," Will laughed. "But I don't think I'm cut out to be a lead vocalist. I prefer harmonising or back-up or whatever."

"Don't think I'm cut out, my ass!" Astrid cursed. "You sounded good!"

"Hey, if you like doing back-up, we'll need you. The more the merrier," I offered.

"Cheers!" Will said. "Oh hey, what are our roles in this anyway...and more importantly, what genre are we?" Oh...didn't think that through.

"Well, you're playing drums," Astrid said matter-of-factly. "I know I play guitar, but, I'm really thinking of giving bass a shot. Hiccup, how would you feel playing guitar?" Me play guitar? ...my dad used to show me a few chords. I wonder if he has his old Fender lying around...

"Yeah, sure." I said, smiling and shrugging.

"Okay, that's acoustic stuff sorted," Astrid said. "Hiccup, you and I both agreed to have electronics involved?"

"Yep, that's right." I nodded. "Will, you have much experience playing hybrid drums?"

"No, but I've been to enough of Kylie Minogue's live shows to see how her drummer does it, so I'm more than happy to adapt," He smiled.

"Oh, nice!" I said. "Okay, good so far...do we all want to have some keys to play?" We looked between the three of us and we all nodded in agreement.

"Right, so our list is..." I walked over to an unoccupied desk closeby to some keyboards across from all the sheet music, found some stationery and brought it back with me to Astrid and Will.

"Okay, here's what we need to grab." I started to write on the blank piece of paper and we all crowded over our vessel to our destination.

**Bass & Amp (Astrid)**

**Drums for ****rent ****(Help Will sort it out)**

**MASCHINE and KORG keys (Me)**

**Triggers? and Electric drums (Will and maybe everyone?)**

**Leads (Everyone)**

**Drum mics (Will. Maybe rent too)**

**More keys (Astrid and Will)**

**Mic...**

"Hey Astrid, you don't have a condenser mic at home, do you?" I asked over my shoulder.

"Actually, yeah I do. And I have a foam acoustic barrier going around one side of it. That'll make us sound better."

"Cool! Don't need to get that then." I crossed out **Mic... **and kept going.

**Guitar & amp (Ask Dad or Astrid)**

"I've got an amp we can use, but my electric guitar broke recently. The Indonesian made kind. Unreliable and bad tone. I have my acoustic though."

**Headphones (Everyone)**

**Mixing board (Ask Gobber)**

**Speakers (Turn bedroom over!)**

**Mics for amps (Astrid and I)**

**Ukulele (Me)**

"Ukulele? Really?" Astrid asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Never know!" I protested. Will picked up the list and gave it a twice-over.

"Don't seem to be missing anything here, at least that I can think of...okay, you guys all good?" We all nodded together.

"Okay, I'll go speak to Gobber about getting Will a rental plan. You try and find what we're after, Hiccup." Astrid commanded.

"Yes ma'am," I said, mocking a salute in her direction. She hit my arm in retaliation and I winced.

"Jeez, why is it always violence with you?" I muttered.

"It's not violence, it's communication!" Astrid shot back with a smirk. "Come on, Will. Gobber! this is..." They left me with the MASCHINE and little KORG and I started to walk around looking for everything else we needed. I walked back to the desk I got the stationary from, and had a look in the glass cabinet that sat behind it. Behind the locked sliding doors sat microphones in different colours, shapes and brands. I saw up on a high shelf a drum mic kit that was reduced to a reasonable price.

"Okay, rental for these should be a doozy on top of the kit," I muttered, ticking off the drum mics. I went further down the shelf and saw two microphones that had small handles, but huge diaphragms*. They actually looked a little like ice creams. I chuckled at the sight of them and ticked off guitar mics and wrote down their price. Right next to them were several pairs of Audio Technica over-ear headphones. So far, so good! I knew I was going to grab the KORG and MASCHINE, so I headed back into the next room with the drums. On a wall behind all the acoustic kits were several electronic drum kits in a straight line. Several Yamahas and Rolands sat switched on and ready to be played. Hm, maybe too big combined with the acoustic kit, I thought. Then, my gaze swung left and I saw mounted on the wall, what looked similar to the MASCHINE, but the pads you strike to make a sound were much bigger, obviously meant to be hit with a stick. I walked up to a black one with red detailing that was named **ROLAND SPD-SX. **I scrolled through all the different patches, seeing several options to choose from, and the price tag for it had a little comment on it, saying that it comes with a CD rom that you can load your own samples onto and play through the module. Perfect! On a little bench next to the pads there sat a box of triggers*. Will will...Did I really just say that in my head? Oh, my gods, this is confusing... HE will probably need those at a later date, so we'll leave them for now.

"Okay, that's all the drum stuff sorted," I said. "Now for strings."

I walked under the archway and came into the guitar room. I hadn't gotten a closer look in there but this room was incredible! Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Wal, ESP and Dean guitars and basses were everywhere! There seemed to be thousands of them sitting on the walls and frames.

"Wow!" I exclaimed.

"Aye, she's a beauty isn't she?" Gobber called out from over Astrid and Will's heads. They turned around to see the room and nodded slowly in admiration.

"You find most of the stuff we're after?" Astrid asked.

"Yep! Just gotta have a look at a few other things." I said.

"Hiccup and Astrid forming a band together? I never thought I'd see the day," Gobber said quietly, slowly shaking his head and smiling. "Where did the time go...?" Yeah...where DID the time go?

I walked to the far side of the guitar room and saw a few ukes strung up on wall mounts, and picked one up. It had a beautiful laquered finish on a brown wood body, an ebony fretboard and a headstock as shiny as the body of the hawaiian baby guitar. I strummed the four strings. Sounded like it was in tune. But then I realised it was noticeeably bigger than the other ones on the wall. The neck seemed to be a lot longer. Then I noticed on the price tag that it was a Tenor Ukulele. Oh, so it must have a lower register, I thought. I then strummed the strings again and realised they were tuned like the bottom four strings of a guitar. D, G, B and E. So the chords would be more similar to a guitar. Awesome! I put the uke back carefully and walked back over to everyone.

"Did you speak to Gobber about the mixing board and bass stuff?" I asked Astrid.

"Yeah! He said he has an old board in storage that we can use, and he helped me pick out some bass equipment and some good leads for everything."

"How's the rental plan looking for you, bud?" I asked Will.

"I think it'll be just fine!" he said, giving me some thumbs up.

"Okay, looks like we're good to go!"

* * *

><p><strong>So, looks like they can start recording soon! Please review and follow!<strong>

**-Ollie**

***-The diaphragm on a microphone is the silver bit you speak/sing into.**

***-Triggers are impact sensitive tiny clamps you put on your acoustic drums and are programmed to make electronic/natural sounds when hooked up to a drum module. Good if you want to go between electric and acoustic on one kit or in case a microphone fails in a live situation.**


End file.
